


Matching Up Hearts (and maybe yours with mine)

by DriftWaves27



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Matchmaking, Persona 5 Protagonist is Named Ren, Persona 5 Protagonist is from Inaba, Post-Canon, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:55:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21702565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DriftWaves27/pseuds/DriftWaves27
Summary: Goro has a crush on a fellow ex-Phantom Thief and a very nosey matchmaker of a leader, but circumstances gives him a chance to maybe give him a taste of his own medicine. Maybe Ren'll shut up when he gets together with his sweetheart.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Sakamoto Ryuji, Persona 4 Protagonist/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 8
Kudos: 50





	1. On the Way

Goro can only sigh as the van shook due to  uneven roads. It's summer, and the ex-Phantom Thieves in Tokyo had the genius idea of giving a surprise visit to their leader at Yasoinaba, after he went back early for reasons he won't tell them.

To be honest, Goro doesn't even know how he's roped into this. Sure, it's been more than a year since they defeated Yaldabaoth, and apparently Goro had made enough amends for the rest of the Phantom Thieves to at least tolerate him, but he still prefers to stay in Tokyo and help out the station however he can, despite Sae-san _sort of_ laying him off, saying that he "should concentrate on education to be the best detective he can be". Also, it's much easier to do homework in his apartment where he's alone rather than in some noisy, albeit friendly, place.

_ Well, _ a part of Goro muses,  _ there isn't anything wrong with that. _ It's not like he's going to take the entire summer break doing homework, unlike  _ some _ people, and company might be nice. And if he does join, there will be other things to do that are definitely more exciting than just laying around in his room watching  _ Featherman _ all day. The cons still outweigh the pros, though.  _ Why _ did he agree to this, again?

A now-familiar weight leans against Goro, and he freezes.  _ Ah, right, that's why. _

Ryuji wraps one hand around his shoulders, shooting Goro a smile. "So what's up, Goro? Ain't it cool? I've only gone to Inaba once or twice, but this time the whole gang's going! I can't wait for the reunion!"

Goro tries to return the smile, though it's a bit crooked. "I suppose it is rather exciting. Although, if I remember correctly, you said it's a rather small town. What exactly will we do there?"

The other didn't falter. "Well, yeah, it's pretty small, but doesn't mean we can't have fun! For one, there's a lot of shops there for all sorts of stuff! There's gotta be some cool knick-knacks we can find!"

"That would be interesting," Yusuke pipes up. "Seeing the variety of artifacts from where Ren grew up can potentially broaden my horizons."

Futaba snickers. "Of course you'd call them that, Inari."

"Futaba," Ann scolds, but she seems amused herself.

"Is there something wrong with my phrasing?"

Goro lets those two bicker for the time being, instead urging Ryuji to explain more of what he planned there. He half-listens to his rambling as his thoughts drift.

Ryuji had been one of the first to accept him, when the others were still wary. He was the one who gave the final push to get Goro out of his self-imposed cage, and the one who encouraged him to get help. Goro could never thank him enough for that.

There was another reason he sticks around, however. Along the way, Goro had… developed something of a crush on him. He took notice on how his smiles always made his heart beat faster, and whenever they were apart, Goro's thoughts inevitably drift to him. Ryuji is seemingly unaware of this, thankfully.

Who  _ did _ notice is Ren, who seemed rather insistent on being Goro's "long-distance wingman".

Goro shivers at the thought. Ren has been…  _ very forward  _ on his attempts to set them up. He can only wait in fear for the shenanigans he'll pull once they all meet in person.

_ Maybe this trip was a mistake, after all _ .

"Goroooooo!" Ryuji whines next to him, pulling him out of his thoughts, "are you even listening?"

Goro chuckles at the frankly adorable pout the other sports. "Of course, of course. You think that there are plenty of scenic locations there, as well as prime camping sites, is that correct? There are also some interesting places that you think we could investigate."

His face brightens almost immediately. "Yeah! It'll be a fun trip, see?"

"Yo, Ryuji! Tell me there'll be Wi-Fi there!"

"Perhaps, instead of looking for Wi-Fi, you should put your phone down and actually enjoy the scenery for once," Makoto pipes up from behind the wheel."

"Aww, Makotooooo…"

"Don't worry, Futaba!" Haru says cheerfully. "If there isn't, I'm sure I can find a way to have it installed in wherever we're staying!"

"Don't encourage her, Haru!"

Goro shakes his head fondly. Well, whatever will happen can wait. For now, he'll enjoy his time with everyone. And if he leans a bit on Ryuji's side, well, that's nobody's business but his.


	2. A Welcome Party and a Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren welcomes them, but Goro can't help but feel like there's something he's hiding.

From where he sat, Goro can see Ren practically shoot up from his seat on the front porch, startling Morgana from where he's lying on his lap. His eyes are so wide Goro's worried that it's going to pop right out his skull. A second later and he leans on the railing as he waves almost frantically. He looks like he's saying something too, and Goro rolls down the van's window to have a better listen to what he's saying.

"-hell are you guys thinking, coming here without telling me!?" Ren shouts, and Goro thinks he hears a twinge of annoyance there, but it's mostly drowned out by pure unadulterated joy. And even if he did, any and all thoughts of analyzing it gets thrown out of the window the moment Ryuji shoves him aside to wave back at his best friend.

"RenRen!" He yells, and Makoto shakes her head fondly. She parks the van and unlocks the doors, and the ex-Phantom Thieves start pouring out. Futaba dashes to Ren, holding his hand above her head while humming a tune.

"Navigator One rejoins the party!" She announces, grinning wildly. Ren smiles too, and pets her head with the other hand.

Ryuji comes up next, giving a one-armed hug. "It's good to have you back, man," he says. Then, after a moment, "but I guess technically _we're_ the ones back? Maybe we're both back to each other?"

Ann knocks Ryuji's head softly. "Don't think too much about it," she admonishes. "What's important is that the gang's all here now!"

Ren nods. "We're all here together and that's what's important." Then he catches Goro's eye, a smirk gracing his face. "But that's enough. Ryuji, I think I'm going to be here for a while, so why don't you make us some drinks? And Goro'll help, right?"

_And so it begins._ Goro lets out an exhale (which has Haru looking at him worriedly) while Ryuji complains, but they still make their way to the kitchen anyway. Goro thinks he hears Yusuke offer to take his place, only for Futaba to shoot that idea down by saying she doesn't trust Yusuke handling _anything_ in the kitchen. Which, if her horror stories of overbrewed coffee and bitter curry are true, is entirely justified.

Ryuji immediately springs into action inside the kitchen, taking out the tea bags and sachets of instant coffee from the drawers. "Goro, can you take out the mugs?" He calls out.

Goro makes quick work of the task, taking them out of the overhead cabinet and setting them on the counter while Ryuji boils the water. It's a comfortable kind of silence, where they focus on getting their task done.

Unfortunately, this means time for Goro to think, and as he prepares the coffee pot, his mind wanders back to the hint of annoyance in Ren's face. Goro doesn't know much about him, loathe he admit it, but he likes to think that he can read facial expressions well enough.

What exactly is he unpleased about? No matter how hard Goro thinks about it, he just keeps going in circles.

He doesn't even notice Ryuji calling him until he feels a hand on his shoulder. He yelps, face a bit pink.

"Yo, I'm putting in the hot water now, okay?" he asks, thankfully oblivious. Goro blinks dumbly before the words register in his brain and he offers the coffee pot.

The rest of the preparations are similarly silent, and before long, they're bringing the mugs to the living room table just as the door opens. The rest of their group of friends stream in… along with a man they don't know.

Ren seems to notice Goro's questioning glance. "This is Tatsumi Kanji," he introduces him, "his family runs the local textile shop, and he's my classmate from when i was in high school, when not on probation. He's here to deliver the socks my parents ordered."

Goro nods. A friend of Ren's from Inaba, then. He gives a curt nod. "Akechi Goro. Nice to meet you."

Tatsumi blinks. "O-oh. You're… the second coming of the Detective Prince. Naoto's successor."

Goro winces at that. "I would rather not be referred to as that, thank you." His gaze turns calculating. "You called Shirogane-san by her first name." This gets the other to turn red.

H-hey! We were-we were friends! It's normal!" He snaps, embarrassed. Goro lets out a little chuckle. Too easy.

He almost misses an 'oh' resounding from the kitchen. There was a pause, and then Ryuji repeats it, louder.

Goro quickly excuses himself from the living room, to the others' confusion, though Ren's face turns tight. He returns to the kitchen to see Ryuji murmuring things to himself. Other than that, everything seems alright. "Ryuji? Is something the matter?"

It shocks him out of his trance, head jerking to where the voice came from. "Uh-hey! What's up?"

"Nothing much," Goro shrugs, leaning over Ryuji to take another mug, "and I suppose that question is better fitted to yourself," he says, handing it to the other.

Ryuji immediately fills it up with coffee. "It's nothing, just realized-" he cuts himself off, to Goro's curiosity. "Nothing important," he finishes nervously.

"Is that so?" Goro can't help but prod. It's in his nature as a detective, after all. And maybe he's curious of the other's thoughts, sue him. "If it isn't anything important, then you should be able to tell me, yes?"

Ryuji's eyes flit back and forth, tension clear on his face. He's obviously trying to escape the situation. Goro draws closer. "Ryuji?"

"It's-uh-I can't tell you it's a secret!" He blurts out. "Now I really need to get this to Tatsumi so if you can _please_ get out of the way!?"

It's just then that Goro notices how close they've been. He can't bring himself to look Ryuji in the eye as he lets the other boy pass through, following meekly behind him. _Now what?_

Ryuji places the mug in front of Tatsumi, who mutters a silent 'thanks' as the others chatter away. Goro notices the only other seat is between Ryuji and Ren, the latter of which gives him a wink. _Fucker._ He quickly sits down, ignoring Ren's muffled chuckle before he goes back to talking with Haru.

"So," Tatsumi starts, "Heard you guys are staying at Amagi Inn. How'd you manage it?"

Ryuji has a proud smile plastered on his face. "Early planning always does the job!" He announces.

Goro elbows him. "Like you don't put off your homework until the last day," he teases.

Ryuji sputters, and he and Kanji laugh. This is nice. It's like earlier never happened.

Kanji shakes his head as his chuckling trails off. "To be honest, though, isn't now kind of a bad time to give a surprise visit?" Ryuji groans at that. Next to him, Ren tenses a bit, but continues his own conversation.

"Yeaj, I know, I know… I realize that now. He's coming tomorrow, right?" He flashes a grin then, patting Tatsumi's shoulder. "Then again, he's also your buddy. Have fun, dude."

This piques Goro's interest. "Who's coming?"

He can feel Ren leer at him. Ryuji freezes for a split-second, before spitting out excuses. Goro almost feels bad about it. _Almost._ He's more focused on unraveling this mystery. If he pushes a little harder…

It's Tatsumi who breaks the trance. "It ain't your business, dude," he says, rather threateningly. "Just enjoy your trip."

With that, the topic is done, and the two go back to talking about nonsense. Ren relaxes, going back to witnessing the others. Goro's not letting it go that easily, though.


	3. The First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a bit heated up at the inn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's chapter comes a bit early because I have plans tomorrow.
> 
> I'm not exactly satisfied with the pacing in this chapter, so sorry if you find it a bit awkward!

Luckily for Futaba, Amagi Inn has Wi-Fi.

She's currently typing furiously at her laptop in the boys' room, where they agreed to commune for the time being as they wait for the clearance of another room. Apparently, some guests had overstayed, and as a result the Amagi Inn has been working hard to tidy it up for use.

Makoto shakes her head at Futaba's full concentration. "What exactly is in there that is so important that you can't seem to take your eyes off it?" She asks.

Futaba swallows the snack they were given as compensation before answering. "Lotsa stuff. I've got another quest to hack into this one school's database for exam leaks. Also a group project for school, I gotta code the program for it."

"Jeez, Futaba, real high-tech! I don't remember my projects being that complicated!" Ann gripes. "Ryuji, do our projects get that hard?"

Ryuji's lying on the couch, seemingly engrossed in typing on his phone. He shakes his head absentmindedly. "Can't say they do, but Futaba's practically a genius. Wouldn't be surprised if she's an overachiever."

"Hey!"

"Now, now," Haru calms them, "since all of us- I mean, most of us, are here, why don't we plan out our stay here?"

Goro nods. "Quite a good idea. Planning ahead will smooth out possible strife earlier."

Ann doesn't quite agree with that. "What if we change our mind? Like, we find out some new thing is happening. What happens then?" She argues.

"Ann's got a point," Futaba says, finally looking up from her laptop. "Besides, there's a possibility we won't finish whatever we're doing by the time we have to move on. Like homework for example," she gestures to Ann and Ryuji, "these two might not finish it in time. Then we'll have to take time to help them."

"Jeez, Futaba. I mean, thanks, but you don't have to come at us like that," Ann grumbles.

"If that happens, then we'll just have to rearrange the schedule," Makoto counters. "If we plan ahead, we could optimize our time here, instead of bumbling around thinking of something to do."

"But what if we end up not doing something one of us  _ really _ wants to do?"

"It won't happen. We'll make sure everyone gets a turn."

"Besides, we could allocate some free time in there! That way, everyone is happy!"

"But what if I want  _ everyone _ to join in on this one thing I wanna do?"

Goro looks at Ryuji as the girls argue. He seems barely responsive, too focused on his phone. Goro can't see what he's typing from here, but it seems to be a messaging app.

The fact that Ryuji is content typing away, unaware of the conflict happening right in his space… something about it pisses Goro off.

"What do you think, Ryuji?"

God bless Haru.

Ryuji makes a noncommittal hum before processing the question. "Eh, I'm not really good at this stuff, so I'll let y'all handle it."

"But this is a team effort!" Ann cries. "You gotta put in your two cents or we won't be able to pick!"

"I'm not an expert, though. Besides, I'll just follow whatever you guys pick, it's chill."

Makoto says something, probably a start of another lecture, but all Goro can think of is that Ryuji doesn't seem to even know what they're talking about. Were it any other time, Goro would find it amusing. He's understood by now that Ryuji is only barely capable of doing different tasks, needing to put his whole focus on one thing at a time. In this case, it's his phone.

As it is, Goro's just frustrated.

" _ Sakamoto, _ " he sneers, "what exactly are you doing on your phone there?"

Tension fills the room. Ryuji finally,  _ finally _ , stops whatever he's doing on his phone. The satisfaction doesn't last long, though, not when the reply to that answer is a dismissive "nothing".

Now that won't do.

"Doesn't look like nothing, from the looks of it."

Ryuji is openly nervous now. "Really man, it's nothing important."

Oh,  _ now  _ Goro's pissed. "Give me your phone."

Futaba makes a little comment about how she expects that from Makoto, probably to lighten the mood, but it doesn't help Goro in the least. The fuse has already been lit.

Ryuji's face tightens. "Can't. It's, uh-"

"'A secret'?"

"I was about to say 'personal business'."

"Well, it's obviously detrimental to your sense of camaraderie, so I suggest you give it to me."

"Cumera-what are you even saying? You know what, nevermind. It ain't your business, so eff off, dude!"

"Ryuji-"

The door opens before Goro can continue.

Goro turns his head to the offender irritatedly. "Yusuke, have you ever learned your manne-oh, it's you."

Amagi Yukiko raises an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" Behind her, Yusuke scrunches his face, concerned.

Ann jumps into action before Goro can say anything. "No, it's okay! It's just a little argument, that's all! Nothing that can't wait!"

Ryuji huffs a sigh of relief, and Goro can almost hear him thank Ann for the distraction. Amagi merely smiles. "Well, I just wanted to tell you that your other room is ready! Would you like to head over now?"

"That would be nice, thank you," Makoto answers, smiling politely. It's like the past few minutes never happened, the girls packing up their things.

"Hey, can we check out your room too?" Ryuji asks, hopeful.  _ He's probably distracting from the previous topic. _

Makoto looks at him, face tight, but Haru beams. "Of course! We stayed here for who knows how long, so it's only fair that you get to see how our room looks like, too!"

Ryuji's cheer drowns out Ann's complaints, and in no time they are all on the way to the girls' room. Goro seethes in silence until Futaba siddles beside him.

"Yo," she calls out.

"Futaba," Goro acknowledges. It's only polite.

They walk side by side in silence. Futaba almost glares at Yusuke and Amagi conversing. Goro recognizes it as jealousy. He knows, because he's felt it before.

"You do know that glaring won't do anything, right?"

The glare is redirected at Goro. "Shut up," she grumbles as her cheeks gain a pinkish hue. Goro snickers.

The silence persists for another moment before Futaba breaks it. "So," she starts.

"So?"

"You were… pretty heated back there," she murmurs, almost too soft to be heard.

Goro grins sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's alright." She pauses, almost like psyching up for something. "Ryuji wanted me to tell you something," she continues.

"An apology, I presume?" Ryuji never really kept grudges for long. It's one of his better qualities.

"Yeah. He also told me to tell you to come with him 7 A.M. sharp. Wanted to show you what's all the fuss about," Futaba shrugs.

So this is it, then. Goro's going to find out what exactly the secret Ryuji's hiding is. He wonders if he'll be able to sleep tonight. "Can't wait," he says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the people waiting for the Yu/Ren content: don't worry you'll get some crumbs next chapter


	4. Witness to a Smitten Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro finally meets the reason for Ren and Ryuji's weird behavior. Somewhat.

Ren was  _ not _ happy about Goro joining in, to say the least.

He complained throughout their temporary refugee at his house, he complained throughout the trip to their destination, and, if Ryuji is to be believed, he had complained from the moment Ryuji told him that Goro is coming, and hasn't stopped since. Goro would be impressed that Ren has managed to complain for so long if it weren't so damn  _ annoying. _

"Will you  _ shut up _ for a second?" Goro hisses.

Ren gives him a glare. "Well, I'm sorry I'm not exactly  _ pleased  _ that you decided to butt in on  _ my  _ business!"

"If it really  _ is  _ your business, why does Ryuji know?"

"Have you considered that he's been here a couple times, and  _ also  _ that he's my best friend?" Which, okay, fair, but Goro's a  _ detective _ , he needs to  _ know _ the answer to mysteries. He tells him so.

Him and Ren keep at it like that, back and forth, Ryuji nervously flitting his gaze between the both of them. At some point, they've approached their destination without noticing.

"Uh, guys?"

"-maybe  _ not _ sneaking around like that? People  _ like _ their privacy, thank you-"

"Guys."

"-no sneaking is involved, Amamiya, it's all written in your faces-"

" _ GUYS! _ "

They both stumble as Ryuji pulls them behind a bush, Goro just barely catching himself. Ren is less lucky, falling flat on his ass.

" _ Dude, _ " he grumbles, rubbing his behind, "was that really necessary?"

Ryuji rolls his eyes. "It won't be if you guys would  _ listen _ to me. But you didn't, so I had to do that." Ryuji turns to Goro then, pointing ahead. "We're here."

Inaba Station is stranded, as expected, except for a small crowd. Goro squints. He can make out… Amagi? And also the tall man from Ren's house just yesterday- _ Tatsumi,  _ he reminds himself.

"What are they doing there?" Goro murmurs to himself, mostly.

"The exact reason Ren is here," Ryuji answers nonetheless, gesturing at Ren, who lets out an offended gasp. "Oh, chill out, drama queen. You know it's true."

Ignoring Ren's protests, Goro asks, "then what are you doing, waiting around here? Go join them."

Ren grimaces. "I can't."

Now Goro's confused. "Why not? You know some of them, right?"

"You don't get it, I  _ can't _ ," Ren insists, cheeks turning pink.

The reaction makes Goro pause. If it wasn't such a big deal, then Ren wouldn't keep it a secret, nor would he grouch about it, drama queen as he was. And if the hue on his face is any indication…

"The person you want to see is someone you like, and you don't want to get too close to them, for whatever reason," Goro deduces.

Ryuji wolf whistles next to an even more red Ren. "Spot on, dude. Guess they don't call you the Detective Prince for nothing."

"I'd like to let you know that I actually do detective work, Ryuji." But still, he can't help but preen from the compliment.

Ren clicks his tongue. "Yeah, yeah, you can cut it out now, lovebirds." Now it's Goro's turn to get a little red. "Yeah, so I have a bit of a crush. So what?"

"Doesn't sound like  _ just _ a crush, if what you said is true," Ryuji snickers. Ren misses elbowing him. "What? You know I'm right! it's less 'crush' and more 'I've been in love with this guy for a long-ass time'!"

"Yeah, you are, but you shouldn't say it!" Ren hisses, continuing to swat at Ryuji. Their bickering continues for a few moments, Goro watching them amusedly.

The sound of a train incoming stops them all, and they all take cover behind the bushes. Goro watches Ryuji watching Ren hold his breath, grip on his lap tightening.

It doesn't take long from the train stopping for Ren's mystery crush to emerge, careful steps down the platform. His friends immediately crowd around him, initially rendering Goro unable to see him. He obtains a stroke of luck, however, when a girl with chestnut hair shoves Tatsumi out of the way, and he gets a glimpse of his face. Goro says the first thing that crosses his mind:

"You fell in love with someone with a  _ bowl cut???" _

_ "It's not a bowl cut," _ Ren hisses, sending a glare. "He's nice, okay! And pretty good looking too, once you get over the hair!"

Goro rolls his eyes, but humors him anyway, eyeing the silver-haired boy.  _ Yu,  _ his friends call him. He is admittedly okay, by Goro's standards, greeting each one of his friends nicely, smiling all the time.

Yu looks over his friends, towards the bushes.

Ren squeaks, ducking down, taking Ryuji with him. It leaves Goro to watch the boy stare at him head on before giving him a small wave. Goro offers one of his own before Ren pulls him down, too.

"Jesus, Goro, what did you do that for!?" he whisper-shouts, horrified, while Ryuji snickers. "Now he's going to think I'm a creep!"

"Serves you right," Goro shoots back. He chuckles when Ren makes a face. "Maybe stop being childish and just watch from afar like a normal person instead of hiding behind a bush."

"Rude!"

"He can't," Ryuji comments. "He'll get too flustered to do anything if the guy so much as looks at him."

Ren makes another face. Goro tries to keep himself from laughing harder.

Despite that, he finds himself gaining a sense of camaraderie with him. The feeling that he doesn't have a chance with someone who has been a constant in his thoughts for quite some time is something Goro knows all too well.

Goro decides then and there: he's going to help his drama queen of a sort-of friend get the guy.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first non-oneshot work, so any input is welcomed! (Please be nice tho, I'm sensitive). This would probably update sporadically, but I'll try to at least post every month


End file.
